1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shoe, especially an athletic shoe, with a central rotary closure which is provided on an instep cover, and a tightening element that can be drawn in and let out by the central rotary closure and is guided from the instep cover laterally and is looped over deflecting elements of guide elements that are located in the area of the side parts of the upper.
2. Description of Related Art
Shoes of the type to which the present invention is directed are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,117,567 and 5,181,331. In the shoes described therein, the central rotary closure is attached to an instep cover, to which lateral closing flaps, for side parts of the upper, are molded-on in a hinged manner. The tightening element that can be tightened with the central rotary closure runs from the instep cover alternately over guide elements of the closing flaps and the instep cover.
Further, it is known from one embodiment of the previously mentioned patents and from U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,882 to make the closing flaps as separate parts from the instep cover. In this case, the guide elements are attached to lateral straps which run over the shoe upper to the area of the shoe sole and which connect to the closing flaps via corresponding recesses formed in the closing flaps.
Also, allowed, commonly owned, co-pending U.S. patent application 08/064,664, filed May 21, 1993 describes a shoe having a central closure which is mounted on the upper in the vicinity of the ankle bone area thereof. In the case of the shoe of this application, the tightening element runs from the central closure to guide elements on the instep cover and then runs alternately over guide elements of the closing flaps and the instep cover with one end portion of the tightening element passing around the heel of the shoe above the heel bone back to a point of attachment with or near the central rotary closure. This arrangement is particularly suited for shoes with high top type uppers as are most commonly found on basketball shoes.